If you run an online store in Canada, chances are you’ve already heard the news: a strike by Canada Post workers is in the works. While negotiations are still unfolding, even the possibility of disrupted mail and parcel delivery can put a wrench in your business operations—especially if you rely on eCommerce to sell products across the country.
As a web design and hosting company that works with businesses across Canada, we’ve already started helping clients prepare. Whether you’re on WordPress with WooCommerce, Shopify, or BigCommerce, now is the time to make a few important adjustments to your website to avoid customer frustration and lost revenue.
Here’s what you should know—and how your site can stay resilient, even if Canada Post isn’t delivering.
Why the Canada Post Strike Matters for eCommerce
Canada Post handles a significant chunk of parcel delivery across the country. For small businesses especially, it's often the most affordable and accessible option. But during a strike, service delays and disruptions can cause:
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Missed delivery dates
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Increased customer complaints
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Higher refund and return rates
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Unexpected costs if you scramble to use more expensive carriers
For businesses with low to moderate order volume, these impacts are magnified. Customers often expect Amazon-level fulfillment—so delays can hurt your reputation quickly.
What You Can Do Right Now
Here are five practical steps you can take to protect your online store if the strike moves ahead:
1. Update Shipping Information on Your Website
Be transparent. If you haven’t already, add a note to your site letting customers know that shipping delays may occur due to the strike.
We recommend updating the following areas:
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A banner or site-wide notice (especially on eCommerce homepages)
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The shipping policy or FAQ page
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Checkout pages and confirmation emails
This helps set expectations and reduces customer service inquiries.
2. Add Alternative Shipping Options
If you rely solely on Canada Post, it’s time to look at backups.
Several carriers operate across Canada, and many can be integrated into your website:
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Chit Chats: Offers discounted shipping via USPS, Asendia, and more. They handle customs and cross-border shipping well—but note that they don’t have a branch in Nanaimo or many smaller towns.
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Stallion Express: A similar option with Shopify and WooCommerce integrations.
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Courier Brokers or Local Services: Depending on your region, there may be local courier plugins available or services that can integrate with your platform. Where off-the-shelf connections fall short, our Streamsyncs service can help bridge website and operational systems.
Each of these options typically has an API or app that integrates with Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce via plugins.
If you’re a WordPress user, plugins like Table Rate Shipping, Flexible Shipping, or WooCommerce Multi-Carrier Shipping can help you manage different rates and services easily.
3. Make Sure Your Platform Supports the Change
Your site needs to be flexible enough to handle new carriers, changing rates, and custom shipping logic.
We work with:
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WooCommerce (WordPress)– It’s highly customizable, with thousands of shipping extensions available.
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Shopify– Great for plug-and-play shipping apps, but watch for added fees and limitations on third-party rate calculations depending on your plan.
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BigCommerce– Solid built-in tools for multi-carrier setup and fast performance under high traffic.
No matter what platform you’re using, now is a good time to review your shipping setup and ensure it’s easy to adapt.
4. Improve Customer Communication
Shipping issues are stressful for customers. Proactive communication helps you keep trust.
You might want to:
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Enable SMS/email order tracking if not already active
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Add expected shipping times that account for delays
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Update your refund and return policy to reflect temporary changes
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Add a chatbot or contact widget to handle questions quickly
Even a simple FAQ update can reduce confusion and support requests.
5. Ensure Your Website Is Up and Stable
When shipping slows down, customers tend to ask more questions, visit your site more frequently, and demand faster responses. That means your hosting setup matters—especially if you run your store on WordPress.
This is where we see a big difference between businesses using “big box” shared hosting and those using professionally managed Canadian hosting like ours.
At ALPHA+V3, our hosting is:
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Located entirely in Canada
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Not resold from major international providers
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Maintained exclusively by our own staff and data centre engineers
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Optimized for performance, uptime, and fast troubleshooting
If you’re running a WooCommerce store and haven’t looked at your hosting setup recently, this is the time. A delay in your site’s speed or downtime during a critical shipping window can be just as damaging as a missed delivery.
Extra Tip: Regular Maintenance Matters
If you’re on WordPress, staying on top of plugin updates and backups is essential when adding new shipping tools. Our WP Care Maintenance Plans cover this so your site keeps running smoothly as you make changes.
Final Thoughts
The Canada Post situation is out of your control—but how your business responds isn’t. With a few simple updates, you can:
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Keep customers informed
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Offer new shipping options
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Maintain your online reputation
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Prevent technical issues during higher traffic
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Protect your sales, even in uncertain times
If you need help updating your shipping settings, improving your hosting, or making sure your site is ready, we’re happy to take a look. We offer free estimates and will make sure you get practical recommendations—no pushy sales talk, just clear advice from people who’ve been doing this for over three decades.
Sources and References
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Chit Chats Shipping Overview
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WooCommerce Shipping Plugin Directory
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Shopify Shipping Rates Guide